Cornell Notes: “The Interlopers”
Key Points/Questions
Notes
1. Describe the character who
is introduced in the first
paragraph. What is he
looking for?
Ulrich von Gradwitz is the character introduced in the first paragraph. He is
described as standing outside on a winter night, watching and listening with his
rifle as though he is hunting. However, he is looking for a human enemy.
2. Read the following
quotation:
Acquiesced, v.: accepted, agreed, consented. It shares the same Latin origin as
quiet. Someone who acquiesces agrees quietly, without problem or excitement.
The conflict that is introduced in this line is that Ulrich von Gradwitz grandfather
received land in a lawsuit from a neighboring family who had obtained it
illegally. However, the family who lost the lawsuit never accepted the court’s
ruling, and so the families had been fighting for three generations over the land.
“A famous lawsuit, in the
days of his grandfather,
had wrested it from the
illegal possession of a
neighboring family of petty
landowners; the
dispossessed party had
never ​
acquiesced ​
in the
judgment of the courts,
and a long series of
poaching affrays and
similar scandals had
embittered the
relationships between the
families for three
generations.”
What is the meaning of
acquiesced​
? Explain the
conflict of the text
introduced in this
quotation.
3. Who from the other family
does Ulrich feud with, and
why?
Ulrich feuds with Georg Znaeym, “the inheritor of the quarrel and the tireless
game snatcher and raider of the disputed border forest.” The text suggests that
the two have feuded from childhood and continue to wish the other dead; given
the description included about Georg, we can infer that Ulrich is angered that he
continues to hunt and raid game from the land that rightfully belongs to Urich.
Grade 11: Our Town
Summary
Then men have been pinned underneath a tree that has fallen on top of them. The sensory details explain both
the extent to which they have been injured and trapped, as well as their close proximity. This helps develop the
conflict because it demonstrates the intensity of their hatred and how long they’ve waited for the confrontation
and how suddenly their hatred is interrupted by an event which puts both men in the same dire situation. Possible
evidence:
● “The two enemies stood ​
glaring​
at one another for a ​
long silent moment​
.”
● “Each ​
had a rifle in his hand​
, each ​
had hate in his heart​
and murder uppermost in his mind.”
● “The chance had come to ​
give full play to the passions of a lifetime​
. But a man who has been brought up
under the code of a restraining civilization ​
cannot easily nerve himself to shoot down his neighbor in cold
blood and without word spoken​
, except for an offense against his hearth and honor.”
● “And before the moment of hesitation had given way to action a ​
deed of Nature's own violence
overwhelmed them both​
.”
● “Ulrich von Gradwitz found himself​
stretched on the ground​
, one arm ​
numb beneath him​
and the other
held almost as helplessly in a tight ​
tangle of forked branches​
, while both legs were ​
pinned beneath the
fallen mass.​
”
● “The descending twigs had ​
slashed the skin of his face​
, and he had to ​
wink away some drops of blood
from his eyelashes ​
before he could take in a general view of the ​
disaster​
.
● At his side, so near that under ordinary circumstances ​
he could almost have touched him​
, lay Georg
Znaeym, alive and struggling, but obviously as ​
helplessly pinioned ​
down as himself.
● All round them lay a ​
thick-strewn wreckage of splintered branches​
and broken twigs.
Grade 11: Our Town
Cornell Notes: “The Interlopers”
Key Points/Questions
Notes
4. What does the dialogue
between Ulrich and Georg
in paragraphs 6-8
demonstrate?
The dialogue reveals that both feel entitled to the land, highlighting the conflict
and feud that has been ongoing for three generations. Both men state that the
other will wish he had been killed by the accident when their men discover that
they are on the land.
5. Reread this quotation:
An interloper is someone who comes between others, particularly when they
are involved in a situation or event where they are not wanted or are considered
not to belong. The men agree that they will have a fight to the
death--one-on-one--once they are rescued.
“We fight this quarrel out to
the death, you and I and
our foresters, with no
cursed ​
interlopers​
to come
​
between us.”
What do the men plan to
do upon rescue?
6. Compare the attitudes of
UIrich and Georg based on
their dialogue in
paragraphs 16-17.
Ulrich feels a “throb of pit” for Georg, and offers to throw his flask of wine to
him to help warm him and ease the pain. Georg, however, responds and says
that he has too much blood caked around his eyes to see, and even if he could
see, he doesn’t “drink wine with an enemy.”
Grade 11: Our Town
7. Reread the following
quotation:
“In the pain and ​
languor
that Ulrich himself was
feeling, the old fierce
hatred seemed to be
dying down.”
Languor means weakness. The pain and weakness are causing Ulrich to have a
change of heart; he is losing his hatred for his enemy because of the
predicament he finds himself in.
What is the meaning of
the word “languor”? How
Ulrich’s situation affecting
him?
8. Summarize Georg’s
speech in paragraph 21.
What is the significance of
his speech? What compels
him to say this? Use
evidence from the text to
support your answer.
Georg realizes that if the men become friends, they can influence the rest of the
people to join them and make peace in their land. If the two families are at
peace, they can collectively have more power and influence, because there will
be no other interlopers or outsiders to try and take control.
9. Compare Ulrich’s
response to Georg from
paragraphs 29 to 38. What
does Ulrich realize? When
does he realize it? How do
you know?
In paragraph 29, Ulrich gives a “joyful cry.” From paragraph 29-pargraph 36,
Ulrich is pleased and relieved they are going to be rescued. He also comments
on the bravery of the men who are coming quite quickly. In paragraph 37, Ulrich
doesn’t answer Georg’s question, which means he realizes what is coming for
them. This is evidenced in paragraph 38, when he responds to Georg with “the
idiotic chattering laugh of a man unstrung with hideous fear.” He understands
his fate, although Georg does not yet. Ulrich’s response shifts from being glad to
suddenly laughing uncontrollably because he is unhinged with fear.
10. What is the impact of the
single word that
concludes the text? What
will likely happen to Ulrich
and Georg?
“Wolves.” The text ends with Georg and Ulrich both realizing that they are about
to be killed and eaten by wolves, rather than being rescued by the men. The
impact of this single word is surprise and horror. I expected the Ulrich and Georg
to be rescued (as did they), but I am surprised. The single word says volumes. It
sends the message that fighting or adhering to the expectations of our
families/society (in this case, both Georg and Ulrich “inherited” the hatred for
each other’s families) is senseless. Ultimately the men’s feud led to their demise;
while they came to make peace, it was too late to save them.
Grade 11: Our Town
Summary
“The Interlopers” presents a conflict between the society and the individual because the conflict between Ulrich
and Georg, which was inherited from a generational family conflict, ultimately shapes their actions and leads to
their deaths. Ulrich and Georg were influenced by their families’ perspectives; in this way, they were shaped to
hate one another because of the tradition of their families. This hatred ultimately led to their demise. Although
Ulrich demonstrated a change of heart and convinced Georg to do the same, neither men would be rescued in
time to share this news with the rest of their families and village. As such, we can assume that the communities
would continue to feud with no resolution. This suggests to readers that allowing family or community to shape
our perspective and biases without question can lead to senseless fighting and possible harm.
Grade 11: Our Town
Grade 11: Our Town